— -- Senior 3Com Corp. executives are waiting for the full terms of a US$2.2 billion acquisition bid to be made public, as several important details affecting the company's future remain unclear.
Bain Capital Partners LLC and Shenzhen Huawei Investment & Holding Co. Ltd. announced an offer to buy 3Com on Sept. 28 for $5.30 per share, a 44 percent premium over 3Com's closing stock price on the previous day.
"It's clearly a win for shareholders. When you can get a 44 percent return on your investment overnight, you take it," Jay Zager, 3Com's chief financial officer, said in an interview in Singapore on Monday.
But Bain and Huawei, which is an affiliate of Chinese networking vendor Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., offered little insight into their future plans for 3Com, including whether the company's senior management will be retained and how ownership of the company will be structured.
In particular, Huawei's role and the size of its stake in 3Com if the acquisition goes through remain uncertain. The information is not revealed in any of the documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Zager said his discussions related to the bid have so far involved only Bain executives, despite several meetings that took place in China.
These questions should be resolved soon. Full details of the acquisition bid will be disclosed in a proxy statement that Zager expects to be filed during the last week of October.
The deal is likely to face some regulatory hurdles as Huawei, which is a private company, retains close ties with the Chinese government. If reaction to Lenovo Group Ltd.'s bid for IBM Corp.'s former PC division is any guide, there are may well be calls to examine national-security implications for the U.S. arising from the acquisition of 3Com.
On the other hand, Huawei and 3Com have previously worked together. In 2003, the two companies established a joint venture, called Huawei-3Com Co. Ltd. (H3C), in which 3Com held a 49 percent stake. Two years later, 3Com increased its stake to 51 percent as the company became an important supplier to Huawei.
3Com bought out the remaining 49 percent of H3C from Huawei in March for $840 million, implying a valuation at that time for the joint venture of approximately $1.7 billion.
The former joint venture is the largest source of revenue for 3Com and is currently the only one of its business units that is profitable, earning an operating profit of $27 million on sales of $187 million during the quarter ended on Aug. 31. And 30 percent of H3C's revenue comes from Huawei, which signed an 18-month non-compete agreement when it sold its stake to 3Com.
Huawei's role in the acquisition bid should put to rest fears it will re-enter the market for enterprise switching network gear on its own. "The H3C-Huawei relationship, as best as we can tell, should more than likely continue far beyond the 18 months," Zager said.
Of course there's more to 3Com than H3C. The company's Data Voice Business Unit, its second-largest source of revenue after H3C, reported an operating loss of $4.7 million on sales of $140 million during the most recent quarter. And then there is TippingPoint, a security company that 3Com acquired in 2005 for $430 million, which reported an operating loss of $553,000 on sales of $25.5 million.
Earlier this year, 3Com announced plans to spin off TippingPoint in an initial public offering early next year, saying its products were not a tight fit with networking gear produced by other units. That IPO is still likely to happen, but the decision to proceed will ultimately be Bain's and Huawei's to make if the 3Com acquisition goes through, Zager said.
The value of these individual units, as indicated by their previous valuations, has some investors questioning whether the bid for 3Com reflects the company's true value. But Zager notes that 3Com's market value is reflected in the company's current stock price, not valuations done at an earlier time.
"You can argue philosophically, how did 3Com get to a valuation on the street of $1.4 billion or $1.5 billion when the individual pieces add up to more than that, and my guess is that gets down to expectations, execution, etc.," he said.
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Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam can be daunting. With a wealth of PMP prep resources available across the internet, you might feel overwhelmed, uncertain or confused about which resources are the best.
Creating an effective personal study plan with goals and deadlines and using the best exam prep resources will help to ensure your PMP certification success.
In this article, we share some strategies and PMP exam prep resources to help you prepare to take the test. Options vary from short practice exams to PMP prep courses. Let’s dig in.
With the PMP exam costing up to $555 per attempt, intentional preparation is critical for saving money, time and energy. The Project Management Institute (PMI) administers the PMP exam. PMI states that successful test-takers spend 35 hours or more on exam prep.
The following considerations can help you pass the PMP exam on the first try.
PMP candidates must complete at least 35 contact hours of formal project management education before they can take the certification exam.
You can build these contact hours through the following avenues:
Once you complete your contact hours, it’s time to set a test-taking timeline.
The American Psychological Association suggests stretching your study time over a more extended period to help you better retain information. For example, if you aim to complete 35 total hours of studying, it is better to study for three to four hours per week for nine to 11 weeks rather than 12 hours per week over three weeks.
Last-minute cram sessions can be helpful for short-term information retention, but spacing out your study sessions results in better recollection.
After you determine how long your preparation should take, schedule out study time and practice exams leading up to exam day.
Practice exams are a great way to track your progress and test how well you recall the exam material. You don’t need to take the full 200-question test every time. Shorter, more focused tests can help you identify improvement areas and strengthen your knowledge of specific subjects.
Toward the end of your preparation period, make sure you are ready for exam day by taking the paid, PMI-authorized practice exam. This practice test follows the same format as the PMP certification exam, giving you a true feel for the official test’s design, questions and time frame.
The following resources, excluding PMI’s official Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBOK® Guide), are completely free and can be used for self-study and reference purposes.
The PMBOK Guide is the foundational resource for all things project management. It details the best practices, terminologies and guidelines that all project managers should know. The PMBOK Guide is a must-have resource for any project manager. It costs only $99 and is free to PMI members.
PMPPracticeExam.org is a free, no-frills resource that helps you prepare for the PMP exam. The site offers four practice PMP exams, each of which contains 50 multiple-choice questions covering three domains: people, process and business environment. This practice test reflects the same proportions found on the official PMP exam.
Each practice test is instantly scored and provides detailed explanations for questions answered incorrectly.
PM PrepCast offers a free, 120-question practice test. Each question connects to a specific project management knowledge area and domain. This resource includes a test-timer and a marking feature for self-review. If you are struggling to answer a practice question, you can use the hint button.
PM PrepCast also offers a project management exam simulator for $149. This resource includes over 2,280 sample questions with detailed answer notes and helpful references to further your learning.
As a PMI-authorized training partner, the Project Management Academy offers a free 50-question training exam to all users. The organization also features 2,000 additional practice questions for Project Management Academy students.
The Project Management Academy’s practice exam is based on PMBOK Guide topics. Your exam results include explanations for every answer. Keep in mind that to receive your exam results, you must input your name and email address.
Quizlet’s user-created study set includes over 1,500 terms and definitions. Quizlet is free, does not require an account and offers multiple self-study options, including a flashcard feature.
With an account, you can use Quizlet’s term-matching feature. You can also generate a test that includes written-answer, multiple-choice, true-or-false and matching questions. If you want a more advanced learning experience, the Study Path feature uses your individual goals to create a study plan.
BrainSensei offers two PMP training modules and a mini practice exam. This resource offers a seven-day free trial.
Each module uses an interactive slide deck and videos to teach project management concepts. The first module is an overview of project management, and the second focuses on initiating a project. Each unit offers self-assessment opportunities, which require users to drag and drop the appropriate vocabulary terms into their correct respective spaces.
This practice test resource is free and comprises 25 questions. Tests.com organizes its PMP practice questions into five sections, aligned with the five steps of the project life cycle: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing. Each question is multiple-choice and includes a short description.
This resource is best for quickly testing your knowledge of the project life cycle.
The Simplilearn practice test is free and based on the PMBOK Guide. It includes 200 multiple-choice questions. Test-takers have 240 minutes to complete the practice exam. They can pause and continue the test at any point and attempt the exam as many times as they want.
Taking this lengthy test from beginning to end can help build your mental stamina in preparation for the real deal. Skillup by Simplilearn offers a free PMP basics course if you need more study time before taking the practice test.
Udemy’s free PMP exam prep course covers various introductory project management concepts. The five-unit course—plus one paid self-promotion unit—walks through each course using short video lessons that total just 1.5 hours.
The Udemy course can be helpful for those who are just starting project management careers or seeking more information about the PMP exam.
This free 200-question practice exam uses Google Forms. Once the test is complete, your results include a final score and provide feedback that references specific sections of the sixth-edition PMBOK Guide.
Some practice questions address concepts covered in the PMBOK Guide, and some refer to Agile or adaptive methodologies. This test can provide you a broad sense of the questions you’ll find on the PMP certification exam. Those interested in the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner exam can benefit from this practice test as well.
Unlike the other free practice exams on this list, this resource offers three difficulty levels. The easiest level is not timed and gives instant feedback after each question. The second has a two-hour time limit and provides feedback at the end. The third and most difficult level limits your time on each question.
This exam comprises 90 questions and explains the correct answers after submission. The test also shares your accuracy on each of the PMBOK Guide performance domains, helping you identify areas that might require more study time.
There is a broad range of responsibilities that fall to HR professionals. The right certification can help you rise in the ranks.
Many of us think of HR as the people in charge of filling open positions within an organization, but it’s much more than that. Talent acquisition is just one aspect; many HR professionals are also tasked with employee onboarding and training, gauging performance, administration of employee compensation and benefits, and higher-level policy and strategy development. These responsibilities are integral to the success of an organization, and achieving a respected certification helps you prove you’ve got the chops to handle the job.
Earning an HR certification is an ideal way to show professional achievements, which may also help with career advancements. HR certification provides many benefits for both employees and employers:
The following table lists top HR and talent acquisition certifications and the number of open positions on a single day that call for the certification specifically or experience with the subject matter. This isn’t a scientific analysis in which every job description is examined, just an overall glance at search numbers.
| Certification | Simply Hired | LinkedIn Jobs | Total |
| Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) | 128 | 142 | 270 |
| Professional in Human Resources (PHR) | 2,865 | 2,124 | 4,989 |
| Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) | 2,003 | 1,649 | 3,652 |
| SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) | 1,080 | 1,240 | 2,320 |
| SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) | 744 | 825 | 1,569 |
The following sections provide details of the top HR and talent acquisition certifications according to job site searches as well as other certifications that didn’t make the top five but are still noteworthy.
The Association for Talent Development (ATD), formerly the American Society for Training & Development, claims to be the world’s largest association geared toward the training and development profession. ATD offers the CPLP and the newer Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials.
To qualify for the CPLP, you must have four to five years of work experience, depending on your level of education. CPLP certification requires you to pass a knowledge exam and a skills application exam. ATD members pay a $900 registration fee; the nonmember cost is $1,250. See the CPLP Candidate Handbook for complete details.
The PHR, offered by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI), aims at those responsible for HR management and program implementation while ensuring adherence to applicable U.S. laws and regulations.
The three-hour PHR exam, available through Prometric, covers workforce planning and employment, employee and labor relations, compensation and benefits, HR development, business management and strategy, and risk management. You must have at least one year of professional HR experience with a master’s degree, two years of experience with a bachelor’s degree, or four years with a high school diploma. The single exam costs $395 plus a $100 application fee, and the certification is valid for three years.
Another HRCI certification, the SPHR, covers many of the same courses as the PHR, but with a focus on strategy and policymaking. The experience requirements are more stringent: Candidates must have at least four years of professional HR experience and a master’s degree, or increasing levels of experience with a bachelor’s degree or high school diploma. As with the PHR, candidates must pay a $100 application fee and $395 for the exam.
The Society for Human Resource Management, or SHRM, is a member-based organization that offers two competency-based certifications: the SHRM-CP and the SHRM-SCP, which is covered in the next section.
In addition to usual HR tasks, a SHRM-CP must understand policy implementation and strategy and service delivery. The SHRM-CP has specific work/education requirements, starting with three or four years of experience for those with less than a bachelor’s degree. (See the SHRM-CP page for details.) The four-hour exam has 160 questions, which include a mix of knowledge items and situational judgment items. The exam is available during two annual windows of time – spring and winter – and SHRM members pay $300 (the nonmember price is $400).
The SHRM-SCP recognizes HR professionals with advanced knowledge of HR strategy, particularly how those strategies meet organizational goals. An SHRM-SCP acts as an HR lead and is experienced in dealing with employee performance metrics and alignment with key performance indicators (KPIs).
Work/education requirements for the SHRM-SCP start with six or seven years of experience for those with less than a bachelor’s degree. The rest of the details, such as exam length, number of questions and cost, are the same as for the SHRM-CP.
AIRS offers the Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR), the organization’s most widely recognized talent acquisition credential, and a number of other certifications, including the Advanced Certified Internet Recruiter (ACIR) and the Professional Recruiter Certification (PRC).
Some other sources of HR and talent acquisition certifications are the Talent Management Institute, the National Association for Health Care Recruitment and the National Association of Personnel Services. Even LinkedIn has its own credential, the LinkedIn Certified Professional – Recruiter. It hasn’t gained a lot of traction on job search sites yet (even LinkedIn Jobs), but that may be due in part to its lack of a unique abbreviation. If you use the LinkedIn Recruiter tool a lot, keep your eye on this one.
The purpose of the USATF course certification program is to produce road race courses of accurately measured distances.
For any road running performance to be accepted as a record or be nationally ranked, it must be run on a USATF-certified course. In addition, the certification program is very important to the average road racer, as well as those of exceptional speed. Most runners like to compare performances run on different courses, and such comparisons are difficult if course distances are not reliable. No one can truly establish a personal best if the course distance is not accurate.
Certification now follows a rolling model for applications and approvals. If you have questions after reviewing this website, please contact cert@nullesa.org or 202-833-8773.
The period of certification lasts for 5 years, retroactive to the first day of the month the application was approved and expiring on final day of the same month 5 years hence. ESA staff will communicate with you about your status beginning at least 60 days prior to expiration, and will additionally remind you to submit your CEU data on a regular basis.
If you currently hold a certification from pre-2021 and will expire the next June from now, you should recertify in the spring of the year your certification expires; if your certification expired in the previous June, you may still recertify or upgrade.
We allow 2 years’ grace periods to recertify or upgrade, but you will be required to pay a penalty fee if your certification has lapsed beyond that grace period. All recertifications at all levels (except Emeritus) cost $25 for ESA Members and $50 for non-members.
Starting in 2022, the penalty fee is the cost of recertification for each year of lapse, with the first 2 years waived if you recertify within 2 years. In other words:
0 yr lapsed: $25 for recertify
1 yr lapsed: $25 for recertify (1 yr of back recertification fees waived)
2 yr lapsed: $25 for recertify (2 yr of back recertification fees waived)
3 yr lapsed: $75 for recertify
4 yr lapsed: $100 for recertify
Candidates for certification must have completed at least a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree in ecology or a related science. Completed undergraduate or graduate coursework must include the following, totaling 42 semester credit hours. Full requirements include areas of coursework and should include some core topics.
Please use this table for a general overview of requirements; specifics for each category follow below. Following approval of the minimum CEU type requirements by the Board of Professional Certification, this table will list requirements to upgrade as well.
| Degree Requirement | Professional Experience (Years) | |
| Ecologist in Training | Bachelor’s + | 0 |
| Cover Letter Detail: Career aspirations, highlights of research/work to date | ||
| — | ||
| Associate Ecologist | Bachelor’s + | 1 |
| Cover Letter Detail: Field work, data skills, understanding of the human dimension in ecological systems | ||
| — | ||
| Ecologist | Bachelor’s + | 2 with master’s degree; 5 with bachelor’s |
| Cover Letter Detail: Independent studies, complex data analyses, journal publication, report writing, oral presentations, understanding of the human dimension in ecological systems | ||
| — | ||
| Senior Ecologist | Bachelor’s + | 5 with doctoral degree; 10 with bachelor’s/master’s |
| Cover Letter Detail: Thorough knowledge of ecological theory and application, including the interdependence and impact of humans on ecosystem structure, function, and environmental change; written original contributions of original interpretation of ecological information; technical or organizational competence as evidenced by supervision of projects | ||
Certified Ecologist and Senior Ecologist certification holders who hold that status for at least 10 consecutive years and are no longer working full-time may upgrade to each level’s respective Emeritus/ta designation. Contact cert@nullesa.org to learn more.
Please note that beginning 2021, all newly certified ecologists are required to complete 44 continuing education units over 5 years to be eligible for recertification or upgrade. Currently certified ecologists will be permitted to recertify or upgrade per their original requirements up to 2025; beginning with 2026, all recertifications and upgrades will require having met the CEU requirements. The ESA Board of Professional Certification approved this framework in January 2021.
Certified ecologists should report their CEU as they are earned, or at least on an annual basis. You can see how to do so here.
Interpretive leeway will be given to participants to identify suitable professional development opportunities per the requirements. ESA is partnering with other scientific organizations and training bodies to recommend opportunities for CEU in addition to the content that ESA provides — see the directory. Participants are encouraged to share ideas with staff as well.
All ecologists certified by ESA shall conduct their activities in accordance with the ESA Code of Ethics and with the highest standards of professional conduct and personal honor.
You can review the full application requirements here.
Here are additional details about the requirements for each certification level.
This category is for graduating students who have met the education requirements for ESA certification but do not have the required professional experience for the current certification categories. The basic requirement is:
A holder of the Ecologist in Training designation is encouraged to use the full term, “Ecologist in Training,” on business cards or in official signatures, but may use the initialism “EiT” if space limits require.
This category is for ecologists in the early stages of their career. Course requirements may be met with post-baccalaureate courses from an accredited college or university, but professional experience may not be counted until all coursework requirements for certification are met. The basic requirements are:
A holder of the Association Ecologist designation is encouraged to use the full term, “Certified Associate Ecologist,” on business cards or in official signatures, but may use the initialism “CAE” if space limits require.
This category is for established professional ecologists.
A holder of the Ecologist designation is encouraged to use the full term, “Certified Ecologist,” on business cards or in official signatures, but may use the initialism “CE” if space limits require.
This category is for previously Certified Ecologists who are no longer working full-time. The requirements are:
If the Certified Ecologist Emeritus/ta desires to depict certification on any official document, they are encouraged to use the term “Certified Ecologist Emeritus/ta.” This is meant as an honorary lifetime recognition and does not imply continued professional status. The initialism “CEE” is acceptable if space limits require.
This category is for professional leaders in ecology who have established a track record of excellent contributions to the field in applied and analytical environments.
A holder of the Senior Ecologist designation is encouraged to use the full term, “Certified Senior Ecologist,” on business cards or in official signatures, but may use the initialism “CSE” if space limits require.
Recertification applications at the senior ecologist level require only a cover letter and up-to-date CV if the applicant is, at the time of application, currently certified as a Senior Ecologist by ESA and a member of the Society in good standing.
This category is for previously certified Senior Ecologists who are no longer working full-time. The requirements are:
If the Senior Ecologist Emeritus/ta desires to depict certification on any official document, they are encouraged to use the term “Senior Ecologist Emeritus/ta.” This is meant as an honorary lifetime recognition and does not imply continued professional status. The initialism “SEE” is acceptable if space limits require.
Human resources professionals deal with recruitment, training and development, and benefits and compensations areas. HR professionals who specialize in employee compensation can advance in their fields by earning professional credentials. The Certified Compensation Professional certification is available through the WorldatWork Society of Certified Professionals, formerly the American Compensation Association.
Most HR certified first earn a bachelor's degree; a degree and certification are desirable traits in prospective HR specialists. Employers show a preference for certified professionals because those with designations such as the CCP certification further demonstrate expertise in their selected field. Specifically, a CCP certification signifies that the owner has extensive knowledge and experience in designing compensation and incentive pay programs and that he can integrate compensation objectives with the overall business strategy.
The WorldatWork Society of Certified Professionals bestows the CCP certification on professionals who pass a series of nine examinations. The examinations test professionals in key areas of compensation including development of reward systems and implementing and evaluating employee base salary and incentive programs. CCP candidates must be able to develop communication programs that ensure employees understand the company's compensation program. The exams also test the candidates' knowledge of federal laws that influence the design of these programs.
There is no formal educational requirement for CCP certification, and candidates with any education or experience level can take the exams. Candidates, however, must score at least 75 percent on the exams and must pass all nine exams within eight years of registration. The WorldatWork Society offers training courses in a variety of formats including webinars and computer-based self studies. The society also offers seminars at various locations throughout the U.S. Candidates are not required to be members of the WorldatWork Society, but members receive discounts on the cost of the preparation courses.
CCP certificates are good for three years, after which candidates recertify to maintain their status. Recertification involves obtaining 12 credits in related activities, which can include participation at a conference, membership in a WorldatWork Society or with a local network partner, and professional writing contributions to print publications. The WorldatWork Society maintains certification information for all certificate holders and updates this information with all certification activities. Certificate holders can submit the application for recertification at any time, and when they reach the 12-credit threshold, the association's recertification tool automatically submits the application within 30 days of the certificate's expiration date.
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Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification can make you stand out against the competition in the field of project management. If you’ve wondered how to get PMP certification, know that you must first complete work experience, training courses and an exam.
But is PMP certification worth it? In this article, we’ll explore what it takes to get certified, how much you might have to pay and how PMP certification can help you level up your project management career.
Professional certifications verify your career skills and allow you to learn more about important concepts and industry best practices that can help in your day-to-day operations.
PMP certification is the most widely recognized in the world of project management. It’s available through the Project Management Institute (PMI), which publishes the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK). The PMBOK is the holy grail of knowledge when it comes to project management concepts.
PMP certification demonstrates a strong understanding of the concepts set forth in the PMBOK and other reference materials. This designation can help you distinguish yourself from your peers and gain respected credentials in your field. Along the way, you’ll learn about concepts like Agile, waterfall project scheduling, leadership and business management.
The first step to earning PMP certification is to begin work in the field of project management. PMP certification requires months of work experience. Precise requirements vary depending on your level of education. If you have a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need 36 months of relevant project experience to qualify for the PMP credential. Without a degree, you must complete 60 months of experience.
If you have this work experience or are working toward it, the next step is to complete at least 35 hours of formal PMP training, also called “contact hours,” or hold a current CAPM certification. You can complete contact hours through a PMP certification course, which you may take online or in person. These courses take a few weeks to a few months to complete, and they teach the concepts you should understand before taking the PMP certification exam.
Below, we’ll discuss how to get a PMP certification in more detail, including prerequisites and PMP exam costs.
You must accomplish a certain amount of professional experience and formal training before you qualify for PMP certification.
If you have completed high school or an associate degree but not a bachelor’s, PMP certification requirements are as follows.
If you have a bachelor’s degree, you must complete the following before pursuing PMP certification.
Most PMP certification training programs (through which you can earn your contact hours) range in cost from around $300 to around $3,000. Courses offered through well-known colleges and universities tend to cost more, but many also offer for-credit programs that result in undergraduate or graduate certificates. Consider a program that holds GAC accreditation when searching for courses. Free PMP certification training is available through some resources, but usually only for short trial periods.
To sit for the exam, the cost is $405 for PMI members or $555 for nonmembers.
How long does it take to get PMP certification? The most time-consuming part of the PMP certification process is completing the required work experience. Consider documenting your work experience as soon as you consider applying for PMP certification. Once you get that experience under your belt, the rest of the certification process involves studying and scheduling your test. The time spent on this step can be different for each individual, as well as dependent on location and testing center availability.
Most PMP certification training courses take only a few weeks to a few months to complete. After that, it’s up to you how much time you spend studying for the certification exam. Retakes cost $275 for PMI members and $375 for nonmembers, so it’s best to go into the exam as prepared as possible.
Once you’ve passed the PMP exam, you must complete a certain level of continuing education to keep your certification active. The renewal fee, due every three years, is $60 for PMI members or $150 for nonmembers.
To determine whether PMP certification is worth it to you, weigh the costs of certification against the potential benefits. Since we’ve listed the costs of PMP certification above, you likely have a good idea of the investment you’d need to make to get certified. Now, it’s time to consider your potential return on that investment.
Are you looking to make a career change? Move into a higher role in your current team? In either case, PMP certification could be just what you need to level up your career. As part of the certification process, you’ll learn industry best practices that you can start incorporating into your day-to-day work life immediately.
According to PMI, PMP-certified professionals in the U.S. earn a median annual salary of $123,000, compared to a median of $93,000 for their non-certified colleagues. This translates to a 32% salary increase for certified PMPs.
Multiply your current salary by 1.32 to estimate your potential PMP certification salary. You can then weigh that salary increase against the cost of PMP certification training and the PMP exam. This cost vs. benefit analysis can help you understand whether PMP certification would be worth it for you.
Because courses degrade over time, the USATF Road Running Technical Council decided in 1992 that all certifications would expire automatically 10 years after the year of issue. Initially, expired courses could be renewed upon testimony that the course was still in use and had not been altered. Then, in 2000, RRTC decided that such testimony is not adequate to overcome the uncertainty that inevitably creeps into every course; therefore, all courses must simply expire after 10 years, without any possibility of renewal.
The non-renewable policy adopted in 2000 was phased in over a 10-year period. That period ended at the end of 2011. All courses that were renewed at any time have expired. Expired courses are no longer renewable, but they must be re-measured in order to be recertified.
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- automotiveMastermind (aM), part of S&P Global Mobility and the leading provider of predictive analytics and marketing automation solutions for dealerships, has signed a contract to join the Reynolds Certified Interface Program to directly integrate Mastermind, aM's flagship automated sales and marketing platform, with the Reynolds and Reynolds ERA® and POWER Dealer Management System (DMS).
Once certified, the new integration will enable the following:
Automatic data syncing. This feature will ensure that select customer and dealer information is automatically synced from Reynolds to Mastermind. This enables more accurate in-market predictions with Mastermind's Behavior Prediction Score,® leading to more relevant marketing offers.
Improved service-to-sales capabilities. This includes real-time service arrival notifications that will inform dealers when a loyalty customer or a service-to-sales prospect is visiting the dealer's service drive. Dealers will also receive service appointment reports so they can plan for which loyalty and service-to-sales customers are visiting their service drive. These reports are available in Mastermind and are also emailed to the relevant salesperson with their customers' information, so they have everything they need in one place to keep building their relationship or make the sale.
Increased data security. RCI integration is the most secure way to share data between Mastermind and the Reynolds DMS.
"Data privacy and protection is extremely important when it comes to the data we provide our dealer partners, and this investment into the Reynolds Certified Interface Program reinforces our data security commitment to the industry," said Aaron Baldwin, chief product officer at automotiveMastermind. "Reynolds and Reynolds is one of the most renowned DMS providers in the industry, and we know many of our dealer partners are using the Reynolds platform. We're committed to increasing dealer efficiency and data security with best-in-class technologies that can integrate with key DMS providers in the automotive retail space."
Certification is expected in the summer of 2023.
About automotiveMastermind
Founded in 2012, automotiveMastermind®, part of S&P Global Mobility, empowers dealers to close more deals by predicting future buyers and consistently marketing to them. Its proprietary automated sales and marketing platform, Mastermind, helps dealerships generate success in loyalty, service and conquest portfolios through a combination of turnkey predictive analytics, proactive marketing and dedicated consultative services.
automotiveMastermind is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit automotiveMastermind.com.
About S&P Global Mobility
S&P Global Mobility is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world's foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets.
About Reynolds and Reynolds
Reynolds and Reynolds is a leading provider of automobile dealership software, services and forms to help dealerships deliver better business results and transform the customer experience. The company is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with major U.S. operations in Houston and College Station, Texas, Tampa, Florida, and Celina, Ohio, as well as operations in Canada, the U.K., and Europe. (www.reyrey.com)
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SOURCE automotiveMastermind
